This invention relates to attachment of flash units and the like to cameras and in particular the invention relates to a hot shoe attachment for fitting items such as a flash gun to the hot shoe of a camera body.
Cameras which do not have an integral flash unit usually have what is known as a hot shoe on the camera body and a flash unit is attached to the camera by means of a corresponding hot shoe attachment. The hot shoe has one or more electrical contacts which connect with corresponding electrical contacts on the flash unit so that operation of the camera can also control the flash unit. The hot shoe generally comprises a form of bracket which is engaged by a corresponding attachment on the flash unit and a screw locking ring is usually provided for temporarily clamping the flash unit to the camera.
To provide good electrical contact the hot shoe attachment on the flash unit generally has a number of pointed, projecting, spring-loaded contacts. These are however liable to mark and damage the surface of the hot shoe on the camera when the attachment on the flash unit as it slides into or out of the bracket on the camera. It is therefore an object of the invention to elminate this marking and potential damage.